How many letters does the German alphabet have?

The German alphabet has 30 letters total: the 26 classical Latin letters (A to Z) + 4 special letters: ä (a umlaut), ö (o umlaut), ü (u umlaut) and ß (eszett or sharp S). The 3 umlauts are modified vowels that completely change pronunciation. The ß is a consonant representing a strong 'ss' sound, used only after a long vowel or a diphthong.

How to pronounce ä, ö, ü (the umlauts)?

Ä = like the 'e' in 'bed' or the French 'è' in 'père'. Example: Bär (bear). Ö = round your lips for 'o' and try to say 'e'. Example: schön (beautiful). Ü = round your lips for 'oo' and try to say 'ee'. Example: über (over). Umlauts are hard for English speakers — 2 weeks of daily practice to make them automatic.

How to pronounce the ß (eszett)?

The ß is pronounced like a strong 's' (identical to 'ss'). Example: Straße (street) is pronounced 'Strasse'. It only appears after a long vowel (Straße) or a diphthong (heißen). After a short vowel, use 'ss' (Fluss = river). The ß does not exist in Swiss German — Swiss writers always use 'ss'.

Which German letters are pronounced differently from English?

The 8 letters to remember first: W (like English 'v'), V (like 'f' often), J (like 'y' in yes), Z (like a hard 'ts'), S (like 'z' before a vowel: 'sagen' = 'zagen'), R (throaty guttural), H aspirated at start of word (Haus), CH (either guttural like 'Bach', or soft like 'ich'). These 8 letters differentiate an English accent from a credible German accent.

How to spell your name in German?

German spelling uses the standard chart: A = Anton, B = Berta, C = Cäsar, D = Dora, E = Emil, F = Friedrich, G = Gustav, H = Heinrich, I = Ida, J = Julius, K = Kaufmann, L = Ludwig, M = Martha, N = Nordpol, O = Otto, P = Paula, Q = Quelle, R = Richard, S = Samuel, T = Theodor, U = Ulrich, V = Viktor, W = Wilhelm, X = Xanthippe, Y = Ypsilon, Z = Zacharias. Useful when giving your name over the phone to a German administration.

Do you need to learn the German keyboard to type umlauts?

Not necessarily. On a US QWERTY keyboard, you can: (1) install the German QWERTZ layout (Control Panel → Language), (2) use the alternatives ae, oe, ue, ss (Bär → Baer, Straße → Strasse) — accepted in writing for A1-B1, (3) use Alt+combinations (Alt+132 = ä on Windows), (4) copy-paste from a list. For Goethe/TELC exams, only real ä ö ü ß are accepted — learn to type them.

Is the alphabet tested in the Goethe A1?

Yes, indirectly. The alphabet isn't tested as such, but you must: (1) correctly pronounce words in Sprechen A1, (2) write words with correct umlauts (Schreiben A1 — 'Muller' instead of 'Müller' = mistake), (3) understand words spelled in Hören A1 (Teil 1 with names/addresses spelled out). Solid alphabet mastery = 8-10 guaranteed points in Goethe A1.

The German alphabet: 30 letters + pronunciation guide (2026)

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Quick answer. The German alphabet = 30 letters: 26 Latin (A-Z) + 4 special — ä, ö, ü (umlauts, pronounced "open e", "eu", "French u") and ß (eszett, pronounced strong "ss"). 8 letters trap English speakers: W→v, V→f, J→y, Z→ts, S→z, R rolled, H aspirated, CH guttural. Mastery in 1 week of daily practice.

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Summary.

30 letters: 26 Latin + ä, ö, ü, ß.
Umlauts: ä = open e, ö = eu, ü = French u.
ß = strong "ss" after long vowel or diphthong.
8 trap letters: W, V, J, Z, S, R, H, CH.
Indirectly tested in Goethe A1 (Sprechen, Schreiben, Hören).

1. The 30 letters of the German alphabet and their name

Complete German alphabet — letter names
Letter	Name	Letter	Name	Letter	Name
A	"ah"	K	"kah"	U	"oo"
B	"beh"	L	"el"	V	"fao"
C	"tseh"	M	"em"	W	"veh"
D	"deh"	N	"en"	X	"iks"
E	"eh"	O	"oh"	Y	"üpsilon"
F	"ef"	P	"peh"	Z	"tset"
G	"geh"	Q	"koo"	Ä	"ah umlaut"
H	"hah"	R	"er"	Ö	"oh umlaut"
I	"ih"	S	"es"	Ü	"oo umlaut"
J	"yot"	T	"teh"	ß	"esszet"

2. The 3 umlauts: ä, ö, ü — the real traps

Umlauts are vowels "modified" by two dots above. They completely change pronunciation AND often the meaning of the word. Warning: forgetting an umlaut in writing = spelling mistake ("Muller" instead of "Müller").

Pronunciation of the 3 umlauts
Umlaut	English approx	Tip	Example
ä	Open "e" as in "bed"	Open mouth, low tongue	Bär (bear), Käse (cheese)
ö	Like "eu" in French "peur"	Rounded lips + tongue in "e" position	schön (beautiful), können (can)
ü	Like French "u" in "lune" (no English equivalent)	Round lips for "oo", try to say "ee"	über (over), Tür (door)

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Note for English speakers. The "ü" has no direct English equivalent. Round your lips like you're saying "oo" (as in "boot") but try to say "ee" (as in "see"). Practice with "über", "Tür", "früh" — it becomes automatic after 2 weeks.

3. The ß (eszett or sharp S) — German's unique letter

The ß is a consonant unique to German, pronounced like a strong "ss". It's historically a ligature of long "s" + "z" (hence its name "es-zett").

When to use ß vs ss?

ß after long vowel or diphthong: Straße (street), heißen (to be called), Fuß (foot).
ss after short vowel: Fluss (river), Kuss (kiss), muss (must).
In Switzerland: ß doesn't exist. Swiss writers always use "ss". Straße → Strasse.

4. The 8 letters that trap English speakers

The 8 German letters pronounced differently from English
Letter	Trap	Real pronunciation	Example
W	NOT English "w"	Like English "v"	Wasser = "vasser" (water)
V	NOT English "v"	Like "f" (often)	Vater = "fater" (father)
J	NOT English "j"	Like "y" (yes)	ja = "ya" (yes)
Z	NOT English "z"	Like strong "ts"	Zeit = "tsaite" (time)
S	Before vowel = "z"	Voiced "z"	sagen = "zagen" (to say)
R	Guttural	Throaty R (uvular)	rot = "rrot" (red)
H	Aspirated at start	Audible breath (as in English)	Haus = "Hhaouss" (house)
CH	2 possible sounds	Soft "ch" (after i/e) OR guttural "r" (after a/o/u)	ich = "ich'", Buch = "boukh"

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5. Spelling your name in German — spelling chart

When a German administration asks you to spell your name over the phone, they use the Deutsches Buchstabieralphabet — equivalent to "A as in Alpha" in English NATO alphabet.

Official German spelling alphabet (excerpt)
Letter	Word	Letter	Word
A	Anton	N	Nordpol
B	Berta	O	Otto
C	Cäsar	P	Paula
D	Dora	Q	Quelle
E	Emil	R	Richard
F	Friedrich	S	Samuel
G	Gustav	T	Theodor
H	Heinrich	U	Ulrich
I	Ida	V	Viktor
J	Julius	W	Wilhelm
K	Kaufmann	X	Xanthippe
L	Ludwig	Y	Ypsilon
M	Martha	Z	Zacharias

Example. To spell "MEIER" over the phone: Martha, Emil, Ida, Emil, Richard.

6. Typing ä, ö, ü, ß on a US keyboard

Methods to type umlauts on US QWERTY
Umlaut	Windows	Mac	Written alternative
ä	Alt + 132	Option + u then a	ae (Bär → Baer)
ö	Alt + 148	Option + u then o	oe (schön → schoen)
ü	Alt + 129	Option + u then u	ue (über → ueber)
ß	Alt + 225	Option + s	ss (Straße → Strasse)

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In Goethe/TELC/ÖSD exams, only real umlauts (ä ö ü ß) are accepted — the ae/oe/ue/ss alternatives count as spelling mistakes. Install the German QWERTZ layout on your phone or learn the shortcuts.

7. The alphabet in Goethe/TELC A1 exams

The alphabet isn't tested as such, but 3 modules use it:

Hören A1 Teil 1: names/addresses are spelled out → you must transcribe letters correctly.
Schreiben A1: forgetting an umlaut = spelling mistake ("Muller" vs "Müller").
Sprechen A1: you must spell your name to the examiner → use the Buchstabieralphabet.

For your A1 preparation, check our guide the 500 essential A1 words and our method German modal verbs.

Sources and references

Last verified: July 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

30 letters: 26 Latin (A-Z) + ä, ö, ü, ß.

Ä = open "e" (bed). Ö = "eu" (French peur). Ü = French "u" (no English equivalent) — round lips for "oo" try to say "ee".

Like strong "ss". Straße = "Strasse". Used only after long vowel or diphthong.

8 letters: W=v, V=f, J=y, Z=ts, S=z, R guttural, H aspirated, CH guttural.

Use the Buchstabieralphabet: A=Anton, B=Berta, C=Cäsar, D=Dora… MEIER = Martha, Emil, Ida, Emil, Richard.

Windows Alt+132 (ä), Alt+148 (ö), Alt+129 (ü), Alt+225 (ß). Or install QWERTZ keyboard. Alternatives ae/oe/ue/ss not accepted in exams.

Indirectly: Hören Teil 1 (spelled names), Schreiben (umlauts required), Sprechen (spell your name). 8-10 guaranteed points.